RIVERSIDE, Calif. — Interim Chancellor Jane Close Conoley was in for a surprise, June 4, when she hosted the UC Riverside Staff Assembly annual Outstanding Staff Awards at the chancellor’s residence.

In addition to the nine award winners and 24 nominees recognized, Conoley and Yunzeng Wang, interim dean of the School of Business Administration and a distinguished scholar in supply chain management, were presented with awards in thanks for their extraordinary impact on staff.

“(Chancellor Conoley) may be serving on an interim basis, but her impact will be enduring,” said Tim Willette, 2012-13 president of Staff Assembly. “(She is) a servant leader who enables and empowers all on this campus.

“Her support and the counsel she has solicited are genuine manifestations of a leader who cares,” Willette added.

The staff members honored were nominated by colleagues and supervisors for the Staff Who Make A Difference, Tartan Soul, Commitment to Diversity and Volunteer of the Year awards.

“They create innovation on the job and serve as an example to us all with their above-and-beyond acts of kindness,” said Willette. “They are examples to all of us of the difference that a community-minded citizen can make in this community and beyond.”

The Staff Who Make A Difference awards are presented in four categories: administrative support, professional, service and technical.

Sarah Allison, a library assistant in Special Collections & Archives, was chosen in the area of administrative support;

Faye Dawson Brock, the director of student affairs for Biomedical Sciences, was chosen in the professional category;

Raymond Bolles, the senior grounds supervisor for Grounds, was chosen for the service award;

Bart Kats, the desktop computer support technician for the Computer Support Group, was selected in the technical category.

The Tartan Soul Award went to Hector Linares, business operations manager for Campus Apartments in Housing Services Administration. The award recognizes staff who are committed to the four pillars of “Tartan Soul” — integrity, respect, accountability and excellence.

Karen Springer, an administrative analyst for Office of the Vice Chancellor of Business and Administrative Services, received the Commitment to Diversity Award, which was presented in conjunction with the Office of Diversity and Affirmative Action. Nominees were judged on several criteria including valuing diversity, promoting cultural competency and adapting to diversity.

The recipient of the People Helping People award was Dr. Patricia Steen, a compliance analyst in the Office of the Vice Chancellor of Research and Economic Development. The award recognizes staff who exemplify service to the surrounding community.

The recipient of Volunteer of the Year, which recognizes outstanding Staff Assembly volunteers, was Samantha Jobelius an academic program and development analyst for the Graduate School of Education.

Footer

The University of California, Riverside (www.ucr.edu) is a doctoral research university, a living laboratory for groundbreaking exploration of issues critical to Inland Southern California, the state and communities around the world. Reflecting California's diverse culture, UCR's enrollment has exceeded 21,000 students. The campus opened a medical school in 2013 and has reached the heart of the Coachella Valley by way of the UCR Palm Desert Center. The campus has an annual statewide economic impact of more than $1 billion.
A broadcast studio with fiber cable to the AT&T Hollywood hub is available for live or taped interviews. UCR also has ISDN for radio interviews. To learn more, call (951) UCR-NEWS.